The present invention relates to fuel rails for fuel systems of internal combustion engines, and, more particularly, to dampers positioned within the fuel rails for damping pressure pulsations created by fuel injectors.
Fuel rails, or manifolds, typically supply fuel to fuel injectors that inject the fuel into corresponding inlet ports of an engine. Electromagnetic fuel injectors deliver fuel to the engine in metered pulses which are appropriately timed to the engine operation. The sequential energization of the fuel injectors induces pressure pulsations within the fuel rails that may create various problems. For example, the pressure pulsations may improperly distribute fuel to the injectors, which can adversely affect tailpipe emissions and driveability, and/or may induce fuel line hammering, which can result in vibration and audible noise.
It is known to utilize a damper element inside a fuel rail to effectively minimize or dampen pressure pulsations created by fuel injectors. It is also known to use a self-damping fuel rail to dampen the pressure pulsations. However, such damper elements and self-damping fuel rails may fatigue under high operating pressures.